🌏 Apple goes to DeepSeek’s hometown

Plus: things that are more likely to happen than winning the Mega Millions jackpot

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Image: Justin Sullivan / Staff (Getty Images)

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Here’s what you need to know

Apple CEO Tim Cook visited DeepSeek’s hometown. He announced a new fund to support developers at Hangzhou-based Zhejiang University.

…Meanwhile, Trump blacklists dozens of Chinese tech and AI companies. The move is meant to curb China’s advancements in AI and computing technology.

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Nvidia stock slid 6% on Thursday. This followed reports that the Chinese government is rolling out new rules requiring tech firms to use energy-efficient chips.

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Auto stocks also took a hit. The White House announced that the president would be introducing new auto tariffs Wednesday evening.

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Even Old Navy is using AI. The retailer is partnering with Radar, a tech company that uses RFID, AI, and computer vision to track inventory in real time.

Delaware is holding on to its billionaires. The state just restructured its corporate code to prevent major companies like Meta from leaving the business-friendly state.

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Dollar Tree says goodbye to Family Dollar. The company said it plans to sell its Family Dollar business to a pair of private equity firms for $1 billion.


Tracking Trump’s trade war

In less than 100 days, President Trump has shaken up the economy with his unpredictable tariff moves — threatening, imposing, and sometimes pausing them.

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His trade war has rattled markets, sparked retaliation from key partners, and put major U.S. industries on edge. Tariffs — taxes on imported goods — are set to hit major U.S. businesses like automakers, retailers, and tech companies. Some warn they’ll need to raise prices, while others are scrambling to control costs.

Where do things currently stand? Quartz’s William Gavin has the details.


Lotto longshot

Mega Millions is changing things up in April, promising players better odds of winning prizes — including the jackpot.

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Starting April 8, non-jackpot prizes will be bigger, ranging from $10 to $50 instead of just $2 to $5. But there’s a catch, ticket prices are going up from $2 to $5.

Additionally, the odds of hitting the jackpot are improving slightly, from 1 in 302.6 million to 1 in 290.5 million, thanks to the game dropping one gold ball. With 24 balls instead of 25, the chances of winning any prize also get a small boost, from 1 in 24 to 1 in 23.

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What are five things more likely to happen than winning the ‘improved’ Mega Millions jackpot? Quartz’s Britney Nguyen breaks it down.


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Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news, comments; lottery or theme park tickets to talk@qz.com. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Bruce Gil and Audrey McNamara.